Search This Blog

Climber Killed by Lightning on Kilimanjaro

Irish adventurer killed after being struck by lightning on Mt Kilimanjaro

One of Ireland's most famous mountaineers, Ian McKeever, has been
killed after being struck by lightning as he led a charity group
climbing Africa's highest peak.

Ian McKeever was killed after being struck by lightning as he led a charity group climbing Africa's highest peak Mt Kilimanjaro Photo: AP/PA

Ian McKeever, 42, died instantly after three days of severe weather worsened
as he guided more than 20 climbers above 13,000ft on Tanzania’s Mt
Kilimanjaro.

His fiancée, Anna O’Louglin, 34, who he was due to marry in September, was
injured in the storm, as were up to six other members of the expedition.

They were last night being treated by Tanzanian
doctors.

Jack O’Donohue, 60, was beside Mr McKeever as the lightning struck, and he
described to his son, John, how the force of the bolt threw him from his
feet.

“I believe that Dad was climbing with Ian and they were only three feet apart
when tragedy struck,” John O’Donohue said yesterday.

“My Dad phoned my Mum from the hospital yesterday to convey the very sad news.
He said that he was fine but he was thrown into the air by a bolt of
lightning, so I’m anxious to hear from him again.”
Mr McKeever had climbed Kilimanjaro several times, often leading groups of
youngsters, and was on this occasion leading a large team of mostly Irish
climbers raising money for charity.

The attempt on the 19,340ft mountain, Africa’s tallest, began on December 30
and immediately ran into unseasonal bad weather.

On Mr McKeever’s Kilimanjaro Achievers Facebook page, colleagues wrote that
the group was above 13,000ft but that conditions had been terrible
throughout the climb.

“Torrential rain all day,” they wrote on Wednesday. “Spirits remain good even
if drying clothes is proving impossible! We pray for dryer weather tomorrow
– the big day.”

They were due to ascend to the Lava Tower, a key point of acclimatisation at
15,000ft, before descending slightly to sleep before pushing higher towards
the summit, which they aimed to reach late on Friday.

The storm is understood to have worsened as the group was climbing towards the
Lava Tower on Wednesday.

Mr McKeever died later that evening.

Among those taking part in the climb was a school group from Ballinamore in
north-western Ireland, with four students and a teacher, Aoife Ní Mháille.

Padraig Leyden, head of St Felims College, said he had a brief conversation
with Miss Ní Mháille.
“It was very frightening and very severe,” Mr Leyden told The Daily Telegraph.
“The group hid behind rocks for the entirety. I do not know whether they
witnessed what happened.

“They were taken off the mountain and were brought to a local hospital for
checks. All the students are physically fine, but naturally very upset about
what’s occurred.”

Tributes poured in for Mr McKeever and his achievements during a decade-long
mountaineering career in which he set a world record for the fastest
successful summiting of the highest peaks on all seven continents, finishing
the feat in 156 days in 2007.

Popular posts from this blog

Photo Min Bahadur Sherchan in Kathmandu, Nepal, in April, describing the trail to Mount Everest.CreditNiranjan Shrestha/Associated Press
KATHMANDU, Nepal — An octogenarian Nepalese mountaineer who was on a mission to reclaim his title as the oldest climber on Mount Everest died on Saturday afternoon at base camp, government officials said.
The climber, Min Bahadur Sherchan, 85,

Mount McKinley towers about Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, USA. It is the highest mountain peak in North America and in the United States. Its summit reaches the elevation of 20,320 above sea level.

Currently, the name of Mt McKinley is under dispute. The Koyukon Athabaskan people, who inhabit the area around the mountain, refer to the peak as Dinale or Denali, meaning "The High One". In the 1890s, a gold prospector named it "McKinley" as political support for the then presidential candidate William McKinley of Ohio. According to the Alaska Board of Geographic Names, the name is Denali, but the United States Board of Geographic Names has it listed as McKinley.

The first successful summit of Mt. McKinley was in 1913 and was led by Hudson Stuck. The first recorded attempt took place in 1903 by James Wickersham. The route he attempted was Perters Glacier and the North Face, which is now known as the Wickersham Wall. The route has tremendous avalanch…

Climbing a mountain is no small task, but these 10 mountain climbing training tips will have you on your way to a successful climb in the near future.Take an orienteering class. Contact your local mountaineering club to find out when they have a mountaineering class scheduled. Learn to use a compass and gain some survival skills before you think about making a large climb. Start resistance training workouts. While endurance is important for mountain climbing, don't discount the importance of strength. Basic resistance training is adequate for mountain climbing. You don't need to purchase any fancy equipment because dumbbells and your own body weight provide all the necessary resistance. Eat right for mountain climbing. A good climbing diet should get 50% of its calories from carbohydrates, 25% from protein, and 25% from fat. This is the time to stop eating fast food, and start concentrating on high quality food that you can make at home. If you just can'…

About Me

Charles G. Irion is the award-winning author and founder of Irion Books LLC which includes Remodeling Hell, Autograph Hell, Car Dealer Hell and Divorce Hell. In addition, Charles has authored a series of murder mystery novels set against the backdrop of the Seven Summits; they are Murder on Everest, prequel Abandoned on Everest, Murder on Elbrus, Murder on Mt. McKinley, Murder on Puncak Jaya, Murder on Aconcagua, Murder on Vinson Massif and Murder on Kilimanjaro.

A successful investor and businessman, Irion is the founder of U. S. Park Investments, a company that owns and brokers manufactured home and RV communities. In addition, Charles released Roadkill Cooking for Campers - The Best Dang Wild Game Cookbook in the World.